Combination vacuum governor and spark control



Oct. 26, 1943. D' 2,332,515

COMBINATION VACUUM GOVERNOR AND SPARK CONTROL Filed July 10, 1941 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

0st- 26, R. HUFFORD COMBINATION VACUUM GOVERNOR AND SPARK CONTROL FiledJuly 10, 1941 2 Sheets-SheetZ 82 5- 3 PI- 4+- GFX I b 4 INVENTOR.

. Patented Och 26, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT. ormcr:

ARKCO cor'mnvarron vacuum GOVERNOR m sr n'rnor.

Raymond Hufl'ord, Anderson, Ind. Application July 10, 1941, Serial No.401,856

13 Claims. (Cl. 123-1) This invention relates to a combination governorand included control for a vacuum operable spark controlling device.This application is a continuation-in-part of the copending Serial No.236,395, filed October 2-7, 1938, entitled "Suction governor, now PatentNo. 2,287,036, dated June 23, 1942, and application Serial No. 237,415,filed ered a pressure) upon a control for a vacuum.

operable spark controlling device and that the effective pressure wasvaried automatically upon certain conditions occurring in the engineintake system, such conditions occurring as described in said patent.

The present invention is directed to a structure which utilizes the sameinherent feature of basic operation, to-wit, the constant application ofa pressure and then the application of another pressure at predeterminedtimes when spark adjustment is necessary or desirable, the

latter pressure application modifying the former to obtain propersparkcontrol adjustment.

The present invention is characterized by the fact that the main pistonin the governor structure is the sole piston' or may be the sole pistonutilized in the' composite structure.

In the present invention, the governor valve is of the butterfly typeand of the off-center or unbalanced type and to that extent is similarto the governor valve illustrated in the beforementioned suctiongovernor, Patent No. 2,287,036.

The chief feature, therefore, of the present invention is asimplification of theg ovemor per se and controldevice per se for thespark control, and whereby a single part. to-wit, a main power piston isso arranged that it is simultaneously associated with the governor, ashereinafter pointed out for governor operation and also is associatedwith certain connections to a control, for a spark control device sothat the latter may function substantially as described and claimedbasically in the beforementioned spark control Patent No. 2,248,996.

I Other objects 3 and features of the invention will be set forth morefully hereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanyingdrawings and the following description'and claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the governor structure with sparkcontrol addition connections and a carburetor and a portion of an intakemanifold.

r Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the governor unit with the spark control,carburetor and engine manifold'co'nnections omitted, the throttle bodycontrol mechanism including chamber being shown in section. I

Fig. 3 is an end view tion. v

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of 1 and in thedirection of the arrows.

Fi 5 is an elevational view of of the governor construc- Fig. 6 is atransverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 'l'is a perspective view of the accommoda tion adapter gasketinterposed between the car buretor and the governor structure.

Fig. 8 is a side view of a portion of the mecha- In of a carburetor towhich is-usually secured at its upper end, if the carburetor be ofdowndraft tim an air cleaner. It is provided with a flange II forconnection to the complementary flange II of the intake manifold I3. Thecarburetor includes the usual throttle valve. Herein the governorstructure, the subject of the present invention, includes a body portionI4 .provided with an intake passage Ha that is of the same shape andarea as the engine manifold opening'or intake llaand the carburetorintakeor opening Ila.

flhe bodypo'rtion II is provided with bolt openings I! that receive theconnecting bolts ii that extend through the-several flanges and the bodyportion ll through the apertures I! and securely clamp the 'govemor,carburetor and engine manifold together with the intakes of each inregistering relation. The usual gasket structures areinterposed-betweemthese anchoring flanges.

Wlthm the governor intake. a and extending across thesame,somewhatoficenter, is the shaft II, to which i secured the unbalanced oroffset governor b t erfly valve II. This is sub- 7 the combination powerand spark control piston.-

Fig. 1 of the drawings, ill indicates a portion stantially elliptical inshape. The intake wall is relieved at I45 for tool clearance.

In applying the governor construction to the engine intake system, theusual procedure is to first remove the air cleaner, throttle rod,carburetor and manifold studs. The vacuum line from the carburetor tothe vacuum spark control, if utilized, then is disconnected. Thegovernor structure then is interposed between the carburetor flange andthe engine manifold flange in such a manner that the governor valvecloses in a direction opposite from that which the carburetor valvecloses. Then the several parts are connected together, the air cleaneris reconnected to the carburetor and the throttle rod is reconnected,using an extension, if necessary. The matter of adjustment for differentspeeds will be described hereinafter. The matter of utilizing theinvention in combination with a vacuum spark control if the distributoris provided therewith, also will be described hereinafter as well as theparts are required in the event, such a vacuum spark control for thedistributor is not provided.

There is formed integral with the portion ll a housing structure I9connected to the former by the web arrangement 20. This housingstructure includes a longitudinal extension 2| and the sameis providedwith a detachable cap 22 or head.

Extending oppositely from the portion 2| on the housing i9 is a slottedboss 23 internally threaded as at 24 to receive an adjusting screw 25.This structure is enclosed by a cap 25 having a tail portion 21 securedto the housing I9 by the screw 28, and this may be provided with theconventional seal wire and lead. seal to indicate any unauthorizedtampering with the adjustment. The aforesaid member 25 is the primaryadjusting structure and is the one that is used to set the governor forthe desired speed under which the engine is to be governed. when themember 25 is retracted into the boss portion 23, the governed speeddetermined is less. When it is advanced to the right, the

governed speed is greater. The parts cooperating with the aforesaidadjustment member will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

The housing I9 is provided with a cover plate 29 suitably securedthereto as at 30 and having the usual sealing gasket 3| interposedtherebetween. Within this chamber formed by the housing there isprovided near the adjusting end of the same the post structure 32, andupon the same is pivotaily mounted a tiltable member 33 by means of themember 3|. A coil spring 35 has one end 35a hooked about the member 33and the other end is relatively stationarily anchored as at 35b. Thepurpose of this spring 35 is to normally constrain the member 33 intocontact with the adjusting. member 25.

The adjusting member 33 includes a. pin 35 and a member 31 is providedwith a slot 38 in which the pin rides. This member 31 is secured as at39 to a member 45 pivoted at ll. This member 45 also supports the member42, the same being secured thereto by the screws39, before mentioned.This member 42 has the sinusoidal-like surface 43. Whenever desired,particularly for a design running into several thousands, the elements3'], l and 42 may all be made of one piece instead of the three piecesdescribed. It will be noted the end 3512 of the spring is associatedwith the hook 0r offset member a on the member 45. This spring, ifdesired, may bear against the side by such adjustment 7 wall of thehousing chamber, said wall being indicated by I911.

The member 33 opposite the pin 35 is apertured as at M and one end of aclosely coiled spring 45 is anchored therein. The opposite end of thespring 45 as at 41 is secured about a pin 45 extending between twoparallel T-shaped plates 43. These plates also mount a parallel pivotupon which is mounted a roller 5|. This roller is constrained by thespring into contact with the sinusoidal surface 43.

Another pin 52 joins the other ends of the two T-shaped members 49 andconstitutes a pivotal connection to a T-shaped member 53. This T- shapedmember 53 is provided with an elongated slot 55 therein and theflattened portion of the shaft l1 and indicated by 55 seats in thisopening 55 and hence, the member 53 constitutes a valve lever. Ifdesired, each end of the shaft may be mounted in an anti-frictionstructure as indicated at 55 and 51, the latter being mounted in theprojecting boss 53 and closed by a plug 59.

The depending tail portion 530 of the valve lever 53 is apertured as at53 and the same is adapted to receive weight material forcounterbalancing purp ses, if required. The third arm of this T-shapedvalve lever 53 is provided with a. pin GI and the same rotatably.supports a roller 52. Adjacent thereto, the T-shaped lever has a portionturned angularly as at 53 and the same is adapted to engage a stop orpost 54 for limiting the travel of the valve member under the influenceof the spring means, only one of which has been described at present.

When the valve member is constrained by fuel mixture flow (velocity) toclose, this closing force is partially offset by another spring means,to which reference will be had hereinafter, and by the extension of thespring 55. The force and effect of the latter is normally a straightline function but upon extension the force is modifled so that itcorresponds in a certain sense to the vacuum curve by reason of thesinusoidal character of the surface 43.

The housing extension 2| is provided with a bore 55 extending entirelytherethrough and in this bore is mounted a piston 55. This piston 55 hasadjacent one end and slightly oil'set from the middle, an annular groove51 therein. It also is, at the'aforesaid end, axially reduc d orprovided with a bore 53 and therein is seated a spring 59. This spring59 normally constrains the face 15 or head of the piston into engagementwith the roller 52 and this spring through the piston normallyconstrains the governor valve to open position, and hence, assistsspring 45 to constrain the governor valve to open position. It might behere set forth the spring it alone is insufllcient in force to secureproper operation of the governor valve.

In addition to the foregoing spring 59 being eifective on the piston,the piston is subject to 'suction'or pressure as will be pointed outmore fully hereinafter. Naturally, when the offset portion 53 of thevalve lever 53 engages the stop 54, further movement of the piston 55toward the governor valve will be prevented. Whenever desired, thepiston 55 is apertured on its face II as at H and there is inserted inthis aperture a spring retainer 12. An extremely light spring 13 isconnected to this member 12 at one end and is connected atits oppositeend to the extended end of pin 5| by having the end curled about agrooved portion of said extended portion beyond the roller mountingportion thereof. Hence, the

-device.

piston and the valve lever are yieldingly connected together. Thisstructure prevents piston sticking and noise.

The end of the cylinder 65 is closed by the cap or head 22. This caporhead 22 is suitably secured to the portion 2| by the screws 14. This cap22 includes a boss portion 16 that is of'the same diameter as the bore65 so that it seats in the same and the end of the spring 89 oppositethe piston seated end normally bears thereagainst. A gasket preferablyis interposed be-.

, for connection to the vacuum operable spark control and the purposeof'the ports I! and 18 .will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

Sufiice to state, when vacuum spark control is not utilized, then eachof the openings I9 and 80 'are provided with plugs and, therefore, theports '11- and 18 have no efiective function. However, since themajority of the motor vehicles are provid d" with vacuum operable sparkcontrols and since the invention disclosed and broadly claimed in PatentNo. 2,248,996 beforementioned, is available without materiallyincreasing cost, the connections are made between the vacuum outlet ofthe carburetor before mentioned, and the vac- "uum operable device andthe two tapped openings. l9 and 80, respectively. Then the engine is notonly subject to governing but the distributor also is subject to sparkcontrol in accordance with engine operation while subject to governoroperation and the single power piston 66 is the control element for bothoperations, as will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

In order to properly understand the operation of the device, either as agovemor or a spark control or as a combination of both, reference nowwill be had to the various ports and passages included in the singlecasting including the portions I4, I9 and 2|, and no other arrangementsare necessary or required other than those previously described.

In the portion 2| there is provided a channel or passage 82 whichregisters with the passage 18 in the cap, the gasket being apertured topermit such communication. Likewise, there is provided the bore orpassage 8| which registers with the port 11 in the cap 22 throughan-aperture in the gasket. The passages 8| and 82'communicate by thesmaller port 83 and the larger port 84 with the respective bores 8| and82, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The passage 8| communicates through aminute port 85 with the chamber l9, It also communicates with thecylinder 65 through the port 83. Hence, when the piston blocks theopening 83 it also blocks the opening 84 but does not block, naturally,the opening 85. Hence, the opening 85 is the vacuum line to thedistributor. This vacuum line is on the engine side of the governorvalve at all times, since-see Fig. 1-'- 68 is substantially that presentin the intake manifold.

When the piston 86 is moved so that the wide groove 61 thereof registerswith the ports 83 and 8|, said ports communicate with each other andhence, since the passage 82 which communicates with passage 84 isconnected through the port 18 in the cap 22 to the tapped wall 80 andfrom thence to the carburetor above the carburetor valve orupstreamthereof, atmospheric or subatmospheric pressure isapplied directly tothe vport 84 and, asstated, when groove 6! of piston 88 is in properposition, this sub-atmospheric pressure is applied through the port 83to the passage 8| andthence to the spark control through the tapped wall19. Hence, the communicationbetween passages 8| and 82 is separated bythe governor opposed force piston until the piston registers groove 81as aforesaid. When this occurs, the governor valve is substantially inwide open position.

This condition may arise, first, when the governor valve is wide opendue to heavy power demand at which time there would be very littlevacuum to advance the spark, or second, when the carburetor throttlevalve, not shown, is closed and the governor valve returns to the openposi-- tion. When either of these conditions occur the atmosphericpressure or sub-atmospheric pressure is sufliciently great to overcomethe effect of vacuum continuously applied through the port 85 so thatthe spark control then may be said to be responsive to atmosphericpressure, .and hence, thespark is adjusted automatically in accordancewith engine operation for better engine performance.

It also is noted that the governor intake downstream ofthe governorvalve, and it may be said to be immediately below the valve, is providedwith a port or passage 81 that is subject to intake manifold ordownstream pressure, and hence, the same is imposed in the chamberformed by the housing I9 and its cover 29.

Slightly upstream of the governor valve when closed and adjacent theside of said valve, there is a port 88 and this port has an upwardlyektending'branch 89, The passage 89 communicates by a cross passage 98with another passage 9|. This passage 9| communicates with a lateralpassage 92 which opens into the end of the cylinder 65 at 93. In thiscylinder is mounted the powerpiston 86 and said port 93 is not blockedby the cylinder closing end or boss 16 in thecap. Hence, the springengaged end of the power piston 66 always is subject to whateverpressure is imposed on the port 88 which is slightly upstream of thegovernor valve when the latter is closed. Accordingly, if the governorvalve is clos ing, due to velocity, there may be some suction applied tothe spring end of the piston serving to counteract the spring and pistonforces tending to oppose the closing movement of the valve. If, however,the governor valve be'closed and the carburetor or throttle valve beopened, then the port 88 supplies sub-atmospheric pressure to the end ofthe piston 68 which is spring pressed, and accordingly, this pressurethen is cumulative with the spring 69 tending to oppose the closing ofthe valve.

atmospheric pressure on the other face is cumu- Also since at this timethe governor valve is lative and also is cumulative with the spring, theforce of which upon extension, incident to governor valve closing, ismodified by the sinusoidal surface and the force of the pistonconstraining spring 69.

The operation of the governor valve in this form of the inventiondisregarding the spark control function, is substantially the same asthat described and claimed in the copending Patent No. 2,287,036,entitled, Suction governor.

The portion ll of the carburetor supports portion 96 thereof, samesupporting portion ill to which an air cleaner may be secured at 98, ifdesired. Portion 96 is somewhat diagrammatically illustrated asincluding the carburetor bowl portion 8!.

The gasket H2 between governor and carburetor i provided with an arcuateslot 3 concentric with the intake opening Ila. Hence, for differentstyles of carburetors of the same intake passage size, the same governormay be used and the slot I3 is an accommodation feature only.

while the invention has been illustrated and described in great detailin the drawings and foregoing description,'the same is to be consideredas illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein as well a others which willreadily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all areconsidered to be within the broad scope of the invention, referencebeing had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. An engine control including a differential pressure operable devicehaving free communication with an engine intake system upstream of athrottle valve therein and downstream of a governor valve therein andconnected to a spark control of such engine for continuous restrictedapplication of downstream pressure thereon and intermittent and greaterpressure application thereon in accordance with pressure variation inthe intake system.

2. The combination with an engine governor having a valve in the intakethereof, a spark control operable by pressure variation, and an engineintake including a throttle valve, the throttle valve being upstream ofthe governor valve, of a difierential pressure operable device havingfree communication with the engine intake system upstream of the throttlvalve and downstream of the governor valve and connected to the sparkcontrol for continuous restricted application of downstream pressurethereon and intermittent and greater pressure application thereon" inaccordance with pressure variation in the intake system, said governorincluding a. differential pressure operable governor valve controlelement constituting an inherent control element of the difierentialpressure operable device.

3. An engine control including a differential pressure operable devicehaving free communication with an engine intake system upstream of athrottle valve therein and downstream of a governor valve therein andconnected to a spark cation with an engine intake system upstream of athrottle valve therein and downstream of a governor valve therein andconnected to a spark control of such engine for continuous restrictedapplication of downstream pressure thereon and intermittent and greaterpressure application thereon in accordance with pressure variation inthe intake system, the governor valve being of unbalanced butterfly typeand the governor in eluding spring means normally opposing closing ofthe governor valve and insuflicient for prevention thereof, and apressure responsive piston normally opposing closing of said governorvalve and cumulative in eifect with said spring means for governor valvecontrol.

5. The combination with an engine governor having a valve in the intakethereof, a spark control operable by pressure variation, an engineintake including a throttle valve, the throttle valve being upstream ofthe governor valve, of a differential pressure operable device havingfree communication with the engine intake system upstream of thethrottle valve and downstream of the governor valve and connected -tothe spark control for continuous restricted application of downstreampressure thereon and intermittent and greater pressure applicationthereon in accordance with pressure variation in the intake system, thegovernor valve being of unbalanced butterfly type and the governorincluding spring means normally opposing c os ing of the governor valveand insufiicient to: prevention thereof, and a pressure responsivepiston normally opposing closing of said governor valve'and cumulativein effect with said spring means for governor valve control, thegovernor piston constituting the differential pressure operable elementof the differential pressure operable device.

6. The combination with an engine governor having a valve in the intakethereof, a spark control operable by pressure variation, an engineintake including a throttle valve, the throttle valve being upstream ofthe governor valve, of a differential pressure operable device havingfree communication with the engine intake system upstream of thethrottle valve and downstream of the governor valve and connected to thespark control for continuous re stricted application of downstreampressure thereon and intermittent and greater pressure applicationthereon in accordance with pressure variation in the intake system, thegovernor valve being of unbalanced butterfly type and the governorincluding spring means normally opposing closing of the governor valveand insufficient for prevention thereof, a pressure responsive pistonnormally opposing closing of said governor valve and cumulative ineifect with said spring means for governor valve control the governorpiston constituting the differential pressure operable element of thedifierential pressure operable device, and a valve means for controllingthe intermittent pressure application.

7. A combination engine governor and spark device control including aconduit connected at one end to said device having..its opposite endconstantly subject .to intake suction, a governor valve of unbalancedtype in the engine intake system, a shaft for said valve, adifl'erential pressure operable piston, yielding means normallyconstraining the valve to open position, said piston having operativeassociation with the valve to constrain the valve to open position, thevalve being velocity closable, conduit means interrupted and controlledby said piston and connected to the first mentioned conduit at one endand at its opposite end to a source of pressure materially in excess ofintake suction, piston movement efiecting communication between theadjacent ends of the interrupted conduit means to impose the excesspressure.

8. An engine control including a difierential pressure operable devicehaving free communication with an engine intake system upstream of athrottle valve therein and downstream of a governor valve therein andconnected to a spark control of such engine for continuous restrictedapplication of downstream pressure thereon and intermittent and greaterpressure application thereon in accordance with pressure variation inthe intake system, the greater pressure being taken upstream of thethrottle valve.

9. The combination with an engine governor having a valve in the intakethereof, a spark control operable by pressure variation, and an engineintake including a throttle valve, the throttle valve being upstream ofthe governor valve, of a difierential pressure operable device havingfree communication with the engine intakt system upstream of thethrottle valve and downstream of the governor valve and connected to thespark control for continuous restricted application of downstreampressure thereon and intermittent and greater pressure applicationthereon in accordance with pressure variation in the intake system,'saidgovernor including a difierential pressure operable governor valvecontrol element constituting an inherent control element of -thedifferential pressure operable device, the greater pressure being takenupstream of the throttle valve.

10. An engine control including a differential pressure operable devicehaving free communication with an engine intake system upstream of athrottle valve therein and downstream of a governor valve therein andconnected to a spark control of such engine for continuous restrictedapplication of downstream pressure thereon and intermittent and greaterpressure application thereon in accordance with pressure variation inthe intake system, the governor valve being of unbalanced butterflytype, the greater pressure being taken upstream of the throttle valve.

11. An engine control including a differential pressure operable devicehaving free communication with an engine intake system upstream of athrottle valve therein and downstream of a governor valve therein andconnected to a spark control of such engine for continuous restrictedapplication of downstream pressure thereon and intermittent and greaterpressure application thereon in accordance with pressure variation inthe intake system, the governor valve being of unbalanced butterfly typeand the governor including spring means normally opposing closing of thegovernor valve and insufiicient for pre vention thereof, and a pressureresponsive piston normally opposing closing of said governor valve andcumulative in efiect with said spring means for governor valve control,the greater pressure being taken upstream of the throttle valve.

12. An engine control including a diiierential unbalanced butterfly typeand the governor in cluding spring means normally opposing closing ofthe governor valve and insufilcient for prevention thereof, and apressure responsive piston normally opposing closing of said governorvalve and cumulative in efiect with said spring means for governor valvecontrol, the governor piston constituting the differential pressureoperable element of the difierential pressure operable device, thegreater pressure being taken upstream of the throttle valve.

13. An engine control including a differential pressure operable devicehaving free communication with an engine intake system upstream of athrottle valve therein and downstream of a governor valve therein andconnected to a spark control of such engine for continuous-restrictedapplication of downstream pressure thereon and intermittent and greaterpressure application thereon in accordance with pressure variation inthe intake system, the governor valve being of unbalanced butterfly typeand the governor including spring means-normally opposing closing of thegovernor valve .and insufiicient for prevention thereof, a pressureresponsive piston normally opposing closing of said'governor valve andcumulative in effect with said spring means for governor valve control,the governor piston constituting the difierential pressure operableelement of the differential pressure operable device, and a valve meansfor controlling the intermittent pressure application, the greaterpressure being taken upstream ofsthe' throttle valve.

RAYMOND HUFFORD.

